Back-brace.



R. E. KELLY.

BACK BRACE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 1915..

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

ROBERT EMMETT KELLY, OF COCOANUT GROVE, FLORIDA.

BACK-BRACE.

aoaeer.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (lot. 31, 1916.

Application filed April 13, 1915. Serial No. 21,170.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, ROBERT E. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cocoanut Grove, in the county of Dade and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Back-Brace, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to back braces, and its object is to provide a device which is readily attached to the human body without the necessity of fastening means, and serves as a support for the body of an operator whose occupation demands bending of the body, especially at the hips, so that fatigue of the back muscles is to a large extent prevented.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an elongated rod or bar which between its ends is twisted into a coiled spring on which there is adjustably mounted a pad designed to engage against the buttock portion of the body. At each end of the rod are padded grip members coupled to the rod by adjustable couplings. One of the grip members is shaped to straddle the neck end of the body and extend over the shoulders into engagement with the front portion of the body between the arms, while the other grip member is also adjustably connected to the other end of the bar and is shaped to pass about the legs of the operator exterior to the thighs and engage the front of the thigh portions of the legs. By this construction the back brace readily holds its place on the body of the operator, even when standing upright, and without the necessity of any special fastening devices, while when the operator assumes a stooping position the weight of the body is in a large measure sustained by the elastic tendency of the brace to assume the straightened-out position.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the further under standing that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspectlve View of the brace as applied to the body of an operator with the parts shown in the position assumed when the body is bent forwardly. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the back brace as viewed from the rear.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a rod or bar 1 which at a point intermediate of its ends is formed into an elongated coil 2, this coil being in the particular instance shown closer to one end of the bar than the other. The bar with its coil-is made of spring metal so that in use the bar may be bent for a considerable distance out of a straight line, and will readily return to its first position when released from the bend ing force.

Since in use the bar is substantially upright when the operator is not bending over one end of the bar may be termed the upper end and the other may be termed the lower end. The upper end of the bar which extends to a greater distance from the coil 2 than the lower end has a threaded termination 3 to which there is applied a straight coupling 4. Threaded into the other end of the coupling 4 is the threaded end 5 of a divided arm 6 having two branches 7, 8, each terminating in a pad 9. These branches are so related one to the other as to straddle the neck end of the body of the user above the shoulders, while the padded ends 9 are returned on themselves for a short distance to a degree permitting them to rest against the front of the body between the neck and shoulders on opposite sides of the neck, but these pads do not reach to the arms of the user, wherefore they do not interfere in any manner with the free use of the arms.

At the other or lower end the bar 1 terminates in a threaded portion 10 towhich is applied one end of a straight coupling 11 and the other end of this coupling is entered by a threaded stem 12 on a divided arm 13 having branches 14, 15, respectively, each terminating in a padded end 16 with the arms 14 and 15 so bent that the padded ends 16 are presented one toward the other. These padded ends 16, as well as the padded ends 9, are appropriately bent to fit the corresponding portions of the body. In the present case the branches 14L and 15 of the arm 13 eXtend at nearly right angles to the stem 12 and are spread apart and then returned one toward the others sufficiently to pass about the legs of the user on the outer sides thereof, and then over the front of the thigh portions of the legs between the knees and the body.

Applied to the coil 2 isea pad 17 having grip members 18 thereon connected by a thumb screw 19, whereby these grip members may be brought together into suffiwhile the branches 14 and 15 of the arm 13 extend about the legs of the user exterior thereto, and the pads 16 bear against the front of the thigh portions of the legs. The pad 17 is so adjusted as to be located on substantially the level of the buttocks.

" Now, when the user stoops over, the rod 1 cannot approach the body closer than permitted by the pad 17 The pads 16 engaging the thigh portions of the legs prevent the arm 18 from moving any farther away toward the rear from the body than the length'of the branches 1 1 and 15 will permit. The branches 7 and 8 of the arm 6 engaging by the pads 9 with the chest portion of the body at the shoulders cannot escape therefrom. Consequently the bar 1 must bend and this bending is in a measure permitted by the elasticity of the coil 2 and maybe participated in to an extent by the upper end of the bar 1, wherefore at no point except where the parts are padded is there any engagement with the body of the user.

The elastic resistance of the bar 1 may be such that it will in a great measure sustain the weight of the stooping body so that there is little if any strain upon the back muscles in the endeavor to support the body in the stooping position. The brace so engages the body as to distribute the weight in a manner relieving those muscles which usually sustain the weight of the stooping body without bringing undue strain upon any other muscles and also leaving the arms entirely free and without constraint of any kind. For this reason an operator may work comfortably in a stooping position for a long time without tiring. If for any reason the operator may desire to remove the brace this is done by simply straightening up the body and throwing off the brace which may be done without the necessity of disconnecting any fastening means.

The couplings 4 and 11 and the clamp 18 allow the proper fitting of the device to people of different heights. The formation of the bar 1 into an intermediate coil 2 materially increases the elasticity of the bar and its facility to yield to bending forces where such yielding and bending is particularly desirable. Furthermore the elongation of the straight portion of the bar at its upper end permits this portion of the bar to also bend to some extent in conformity with the bowing of the back when the operator is in the stooping position.

What is claimed is 2- 1. A back brace, comprising an elongated elastic bar extending lengthwise of the back of the wearer when in place and having a normal tendency to remain straight, said bar being formed at an intermediate point into an elongated coil with one end of the bar beyond the coil longer than the other, and body engaging members at the end of the bar each having divergent portions with body engaging extremities, one of the body engaging members being shaped to straddle the neck of the wearer and extend over and partially embrace the shoulders and bear against the front of the body to hold the upper part of the brace in place, and the other body engaging member being shaped to partly embrace the thigh portions and bear against the front of the legs of the wearer to hold the lower part of the brace in place, whereby the brace when applied is retained in place upon the body of the wearer without holding means other than those named and is readily applied and removed.

2. A back brace, comprising an elongated elastic bar extending lengthwise of the back of the wearer when in place and having a normal tendency to remain straight, said bar being formed at an intermediate point into an elongated coil with one end of the bar beyond the coil longer than the other, and body engaging members at the ends of the bar each having divergent portions with body engaging extremities, one of the body engaging members being shaped to straddle the neck of the wearer and extend over and partially embrace the shoulders and bear against the front of the body to hold. the upper part of the brace in place, and the other body engaging member being shaped to partly embrace the thigh portions and bear against the front of the legs of the wearer to hold the lower part of the brace in place, whereby the brace when applied is retained in place upon the body of the wearer without holding means other than those named and is readily applied and removed, said back brace being provided with a pad carried by the elongated coiled portion of the bar and adapted to bear against the buttock portion of the body at a point .llli

to alford support to the back when the wearer is stooping.

3. A back brace comprising an elongated bar having a normal tendency to remain straight and at an intermediate point formed into an elongated coil with one end of the bar beyond the coil longer than the other, and body engaging members at the ends of the bar each having divergent portions with body engaging extremities, one of the body engaging members being shaped to straddle the neck of the wearer and engage the front of the body over the shoulders and between the arms, and the other body engaging member being shaped to engage the front of the thigh portions of the legs of the wearer, and a pad for engaging the buttock portion of the body and carried by the coiled portion of the bar said pad having clamping means for securing it in adjustable positions along the coiled portion of the bar.

4:. A back brace comprising an elongated bar having a normal tendency to remain straight and at an intermediate point formed into an elongated coil with one end of the bar beyond the coil longer than the other, and body engaging members at the ends of the bar each having divergent portions with body engaging extremities, one of the body engaging members being shaped to straddle'the neck of the wearer and engage the front of the body over the shoulders and between the arms, and the other body-engaging member being shaped to engage the front of the thigh portions of the legs of the wearer, and a pad adapted to engage the buttock portion of the body and carried by the coiled portion of the bar, said pad having clamping means for securing it in adjusted positions along the coiled portion of the bar, and adjustable couplings between the body engaging end members and the corresponding ends of the bar.

5. A back brace comprising a resilient bar having an intermediate portion of greater resiliency than the remainder of the bar and said bar extending lengthwise of the back of the wearer when in place, a body engaging member carried by the bar intermediate of its ends in position to engage the buttocks, and other body engaging members at the ends of the bar each provided with divergent portions adapted to straddle and partially embrace corresponding portions of the body of the wearer and terminating in members adapted to bear against the chest portion of the body of the wearer between the arms and the front of the thigh portions of the legs of the wearer, whereby to retain the back brace upon the body of the wearer Without other holding means than those named.

6. A back brace comprising an elongated bar of resilient material extending lengthwise of the back of the wearer when in place and having its intermediate portion more resilient than the remainder of the bar, a pad carried by the more resilient portion of the bar in position to engage the buttock portion of the body, and said bar having terminal members adjustable lengthwise thereof, one of the terminal members having divergent portions partially embracing the body over the shoulders and terminating in padded body-engaging ends shaped to bear against the chest of the wearer between the arms, and the other terminal member having divergent portions spread apart to extend on opposite sides of and partially embrace the thigh portions of the legs of the wearer and provided with padded ends to bear against the front of the thigh portions of the respective legs of the wearer, whereby the first-named pad and the padded ends of the terminal members of the bar constitute the sole means for retaining the brace upon the body of the wearer and permit the brace to be applied and removed without securing together or separating special fastening means.

7. A back brace comprising an elongated resilient back member extending lengthwise midway of the back ofthe wearer when in place and having relatively rigid end portions and a more resilient intermediate elongated portion, buttock engaging means carried by the more resilient portion, and divergent members carried by the relatively rigid end portions, each divergent member terminating at the free end in body engaging extremities, one terminal member being shaped to straddle the neck of the wearer and extend over and partially embrace the shoulders with the extremity bearing against the chest of the wearer and the other terminal member being shaped to extend over around outer sides of and partially embrace the thigh portions of the legs and bear against the fronts of the thigh portions of the legs, whereby the back brace is held to the body of the wearer solely by the buttock-engaging means and the body and thigh engaging extremities at the ends of the divergent members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT EMMETT KELLY.

Witnesses:

P. A. HENDERSON, VIRGINIA PRICE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

